Most people are aware that Champion is a township, governed by a board of trustees. However many do not know how the Township is funded, specifically where it concerns the roads. Ohio law gives the Township, through the board of trustees the responsibility to maintain the roads within the Township which considered township roads. Champion Township has a little over 42 miles of roadway, which they are required by law to maintain.

Within the geographical boundary of Champion Township, there exists roadways beyond the aforementioned 42 miles. Included in this millage are State Roads, County Roads and some roads within private developments such as condos. All these roads except the private roads are of course maintained by the taxpayers.

These roadways are grouped by criteria spelled out in Ohio Law. Generally the State and County roads are major roadways, part of our vast road system. State roads span many counties throughout the state and likewise County roads cross the county. Township roads basically are neighborhood streets, the roads that most township residents live on. They carry Champion residents to and from work, to schools ,and are basically used by the people of Champion. Once again these roads are grouped by guidelines spelled out by the Ohio Revised Code. Once a roadway is determined to meet the criteria for a public roadway it is assigned to the proper group and the township is required by law to maintain those deemed to be Township roads. The Township cannot legally refuse to do so.

So to fund all three road groups, tax dollars are collected by the State of Ohio, mainly through license plate fees and tax on fuels. These funds are put into a large fund and distributed to the governmental agency responsible based on a per mile amount. The per mile rate is highest for State roads and lowest for township roads based on the theory that all residents of Ohio use State and county roads and township roads are used mostly by Township residents. Arguments can be made that this is not fair since the cost to maintain them per lane mile is similar, however this is the system that Champion Township must adhere to. 

In the past, Trustees, past and present, have struggled to maintain the roads on these dollars. This, in existing conditions, some of which include a declining population, smaller tax base, closures of many mills, coupled with the increase cost of materials; has become impossible. Cities have had to use city income tax funds to supplement these funds. Many townships, some years ago and others recently, have had to enact road levies. Remember the Township is required by law to maintain roads. Champion Trustees resisted imposing a levy in the desire to not increase the taxes on Township residents. They often were able to use money from the General Fund to help pave roads. The Township General fund in the past received funds from the State called Local Government Funds. In an effort to balance their budget the State has eliminated the state’s contributions to local governments, severely reducing the Township general fund and the ability to use these funds on the roads.

The Champion Township Board of Trustees, now reluctantly, in order to fulfill their legal obligation to maintain township roads and do so in a manner acceptable to township residents, must ask for additional funds through a Road Levy.

The proposed levy will be on the ballot Election Day, November 8, 2016. The proposed Levy would be a five year- 1.5 mill levy. 

Purpose: The general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing and repair of streets, roads and bridges.

The cost to pave a mile of road is at least $ 170,000.00, this is a basic 2 inch overlay. More substantial repairs would increase the cost. The Trustees have indicated that all funds generated by the levy would be used for paving. These funds would be used as our local share of paving grants or pay directly for paving when grants are not available.